John Greenwood music book, ca. 1780

Greenwood, John, 1760-1819
United States. Continental Army. Massachusetts Regiment, 15th

86596d_JohnGreenwoodMusicBook_uppercover.jpg
9165

1780

New-York Historical Society

Manuscript book of music given to Greenwood by a British fife-major, probably after 1780. According to 'Early American Secular Music and Its European Sources, 15891839: An Index' (http://www.colonialdancing.org/Easmes/Biblio/B018536.htm, viewed August 6, 2012), the music is probably for German flute or violin, and it is a leisure collection for a gentleman and not music for use in the military as some sources suggest. The volume contains 87 numbered leaves. Leaves 18 and 24 are blank, and leaves 76-77 and 82-86 are lacking. Approximately 80 tunes are in the volume as well as biographical and historical notes added to the final leaves in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Fife music
Flute music
Violin music
Music--United States--18th century
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--British forces
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Songs and music

Musical works
Scores
Music

New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, 212-873-3400

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Fife-major, 15th Massachusetts Regiment; he later became a dentist in New York City. Gift of Mary M. Greenwood and Eliza R. Greenwood, Dec. 7, 1942.